MY NAME IS VAN AND I HAVE BEEN WIDSURFING FOR JUST OVER 20 YRS. I LIVE IN ATHENS, GREECE I WEIGH 73 KG AND I&#39;M ABT 1.78M HEIGH AND I&#39;M 36 YRS OLD. I HAVE COMPETED IN THE PAST IN MANY RACES HERE LOCALLY AND DON&#39;T WANT TO BOAST BUT I CAN HOLD MY OWN.

LAST WEEK I TOOK OUT MY NEW iSONIC 101 OUT WITH AN RS SLALOM 6.2M AND MY WHISTLING 34 DRAKE FIN SUPPLIED WITH THE BOARD. (SEE MY PREVIOUS QUESTION ON THE WHISTLING FIN. I DID WHAT YOU RECOMMENDED BUT STILL IT WHISTLES SAME AS BEFORE)THE WIND WAS ABT 5 BEAUFORT OFFSHORE AND I SAIL ABT 400-1KM AWAY FROM THE SHORE AND WITH BIG BIG CHOP. ALL WAS OK AT FIRST. SUDDENLY THE WIND PICKED UP A BIT AND THE BOARD BECAME A PIG TO CONTROL. THE SAIL WAS NO PROBLEM BUT THE BOARD ALTHOUGH DAMN FAST WAS REALLY HARD TO CONTROL IN THE CHOP. I WAS EVEN FINDING HARD TO CHANGE THE ANGLE OF ATTACK. THE BOARD JUST WOULDN&#39;T RESPOND.

I&#39;VE BEEN WINDSURFING FOR A LONG TIME AND I&#39;M MORE OF AN OLD SCHOOL SLALOM KIND OF GUY BUT I READ A FEW THREADS ON THE FORUM AND WAS CONVINCED TO TRY OUT THE 101.

WHAT CAN U RECOMMEND. WAS THE FIN TOO BIG, OR IS THE BOARD TOO BIG FOR ME FOR A 6.2M??? SHOULD I SET THE FOOTSTRAPS IN THE MIDDLE FOR CASES LIKE THESE (CURRENTLY THEY ARE AT THE BACK).

THE PROBLEM IS WHERE I SAIL WE DON&#39;T HAVE THE LUXURY TO COME TO SHORE AND CHANGE SAILS/FINS/FOOTSTRAPS ETC ETC. WHEN WE GO OUT YOU HAVE TO MAKE DO WITH WHAT YOU STARTED WHEN YOU LEFT THE SHORE NO MATTER WHAT THE WIND DOES.

TO BE HONEST WITH YOU I NOWADAYS I ONLY SAIL FROM 6.7M DOWN CAUSE UP TO NOW I WAS USEING SUPER X BOARDS OF WAVE BOARDS AND I&#39;M USED TO BOARDS BEING LOOSE ENOUGH AND TO CHANGE DIRECTION AT WILL. (OLD SCHOOL SLALOM BOARDS CAN STILL DO THIS) NOW I&#39;M REALLY THINKING OF TRADING IT IN FOR AN ST 93 OR ST 104 UNLESS YOU CAN HELP ME OUT HERE. I DON&#39;T COMPETE ANY MORE JUST BLAST AROUND SO AN ST MIGHT BE THE SOLUTION TO MY TROUBLES.

PS : ( SORRY ABT THE LONG QUESTION)

Ola_H

2nd May 2007 07:24 PM

RE: iSONIC 101 TOO BIG FOR 6.2M AND 73KG??

I have a similar background as you have, with wave and freestyleboards. I got my iS101 last summer. I agree that with powered up "smaller" sails, the board get a handful. I have not either tried a smaller fin, but I&#39;m sure that would help. However, I think technique is the big thing here. I have only sailed the board 5 or 6 times yet, but I&#39;m allready improving when it comes to controlling the board. The right trim is super important. If you have to "fight" things, the board quickly get a handful. I run my straps at the "2 position from the back. I tried the rearmost position but actually did not go faster (used a GPS to check).

But maybe some more experiences slalom guy can offer some more insight here.

Jonathan

2nd May 2007 07:38 PM

RE: iSONIC 101 TOO BIG FOR 6.2M AND 73KG??

Hi Van,
Very similar experience in big chop with powered 7.5 Gaastra GTX and 34 fin - quite scary and a real workout - moved back straps to middle position and lowered the boom which helped and also helped my front foot from feeling weightless. I&#39;m about 70kg and not experienced with slalom gear. Have had one magic sail with 6.2 Naish Boxer with moderate power also flatter water - hoping for more like that! I have found that with the smaller sails powered up in chop, guys are passing me on their Carves but I&#39;m pretty certain it&#39;s just my crap slalom technique. Any "slalom for dummies" ideas most welcome.
Jonathan

o2bnme

3rd May 2007 12:08 AM

RE: iSONIC 101 TOO BIG FOR 6.2M AND 73KG??

I have had an iS105 for over a year now. As I&#39;ve sailed the iS101 as well, and think they are very similar, hopefully you see my comments as useful... I weigh 65kg and am 177cm tall.

I have the most experience using my 105 with small sails. I find I&#39;ve used it with my 5.6m2 more often than any other size. I have used this board with my 4.8 up to my 8.0. I have had my straps set to middle in the back and out/back for the front. With my 4.8 & 5.6, I always start with the mast all the way back. I rarely move it forward. I find the 34cm fin to be a perfect match for my 5.6.

If the 105 is powered up, the 34cm fin is a great match for my 8.0 Retro too. If I think I will need to float through lulls, I&#39;ll choose the 40cm fin instead but that&#39;s only for my 6.6 & 8.0. I have a 30cm fin for high wind conditions, but I haven&#39;t used it enough to say it is a good match for the board.

The board requires you to be very active in chop. You really have to pay attention to the chop and how to ride the board through. I&#39;m still getting better at this each time I go out.

With all this said, I have found I am as fast as or faster than larger sailors in my club. Up until I switched to my current quiver of sails and have improved my ability to sail the iS105 in rough conditions I was never as fast as the others (heavier sailors).

So, don&#39;t ever expect to go to auto-pilot with the 101. While my 34cm fin doesn&#39;t whistle, my 40cm does. I think the 34cm is a good match if you are fully powered up on your 6.2.

Good luck... hopefully this was helpful.

mark h

3rd May 2007 01:54 AM

RE: iSONIC 101 TOO BIG FOR 6.2M AND 73KG??

Hi Van
Sounds like the iS94 (maybe even a iS87 as 6.7m largest sail) might have been a better bet.

I&#39;m no pro, but try a wider stance with your footstraps, you should feel like you have more control with your feet further apart. Also, open the footstraps so you can get your feet further in, this should give you more confidence with speed in chop.

Last but not least, with the iS101 being real short, it only goes well if you keep the power on. Staying sheeted in and keeping mast foot pressure on is vital for the board to trim itself properly, if not, the board will feel like a pig in chop.

Are you using a seat harness? if not also might be worth trying a higher boom setting as well.

Hope it works out for you soon.

Cheers

Phill104

3rd May 2007 02:08 AM

RE: iSONIC 101 TOO BIG FOR 6.2M AND 73KG??

I agree with markh. Having sailed the 101 it is a great board especially in flat water. If however you are comparing it to old school slalom boards of a similar volume you will find a big difference. For a 101lltr board to handle sails up to an 8.5 means it must wide, this width and the hard rails makes a very efficient board but in heavy chop it will be a handful.

It does work surprisingly well in chop but it takes a lot of commitment and a certain amount of guts to really drive it at speed.

You are certainly not heavy and are not using large sails. In heavy chop I have found the stypes to be as fast by virtue of ease to control by comparison.

I have an iS87 as my small slalom board and even in only just planing conditions it is so easy to sail with my 7m (I&#39;m 85kg ish). When the wind pics up it is fantastic down to a 5.2 but a little scary in big chop unless you really commit and go for it.

Maybe an 87 would be good for you too.

Jean-Marc

3rd May 2007 07:25 PM

RE: iSONIC 101 TOO BIG FOR 6.2M AND 73KG??

Van,

I don&#39;t think a RSS 6.2 sail is ill-matched to iSonic 101. If you can read french, check what Christine is currently using with her 166 cm x 62 kg light weight frame : http://www.star-board.com/forum/viewthread.php?forum_id=12&thread_id=21587

Executive summary :

6.3/6.8/7.3/7.8 North Warp 2007 sails
Goldwing 34 & 36, TomCat 40 cm Tectonic fins
mast-track set between 131 and 133 cm from tail
all the straps back with a 40 cm interspacing

Best sail size are 6.8 & 7.3 for her sor far. With 6.3 sail size, she whished she&#39;d 20 kg more weight or been on a smaller board with an increasingly challenging chop that was building with stronger wind.

Cheers !

JM

van

3rd May 2007 07:54 PM

RE: iSONIC 101 TOO BIG FOR 6.2M AND 73KG??

HI GUYS

TKS FOR YR QUICK REPLIES BUT I REALLY THINK THAT IN HEAVY CHOP AND +20 KNOTS OF WIND THIS BOARD IS DEF NOT SUITED FOR WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR. THINK I&#39;M GOING TO TRADE IT IN FOR A ST 93 AND GET BACK TO BEING LOOSE. THE NEED FOR SPEED IS ALL WELL BUT I PREFER THE LOOSER FEALING AND BEING ABLE TO GET SOME AIR WHEN NEED BE. I DON&#39;T ENJOY SAILING ON ANYTHING BIGGER THAN A 6.7. MAYBE IN 10 YRS TIME I&#39;LL BUY SOME BIGGER SAILS AND I&#39;LL GO BACK TO WIDE SLALOM BOARDS. TKS AGAIN.

geo

3rd May 2007 09:14 PM

RE: iSONIC 101 TOO BIG FOR 6.2M AND 73KG??

Just my opinion. Never sailed the 101, nor any other 45 cm. or so - tailed slalom board in 20+ knots.
6.2 may be well within the 101 range, but I don&#39;t think a 101 with a 6.2 in heavy chop as an optimal choice. To make it possible to ride it is one thing, to be competitive on it (racing a slalom heat by 95 kg. AA) another one, to have fun on it yet another one and to have fun on it at 73 kg. a totally, wholly, completely, different story.
If I was 73 kg., willing to purchase a Starboard slalom board to use up to 6.7 sail and having a liking for loose fast boards, my choice would be an 87.

van

9th July 2007 05:21 PM

RE: iSONIC 101 TOO BIG FOR 6.2M AND 73KG??

AS I STARTED THIS THREAD I THOUGHT I&#39;D FINISH IT. SO MY IS0NIC 101 IS HERE TO STAY. AFTER MOVING THE STRAPS TO THE MIDDLE, DISHING THE DRAKE FIN FOR A TECHTONIS GOLDWING AND GETTING AN X6 MAST FOR MY RS SLALOM THE BOARD REALLY ROCKS. I JUST LOVE IT. GUESS ON MY ORIGINAL COMMENT IT WAS A CASE OF TOO MANY THINGS NOT BEING SET UP RIGHT. TKS AGAIN FOR YR REPLIES.